Choosing a good dentist

Dentists are a partner of your  life. As ideally expect our teeth last us forever, it is essential to know to choose a good dentist confidence that meets our oral health and our family with the utmost professionalism possible.

Here we present some hints and tips that can help us to distinguish a good professional who is not.

Characteristics of a good dentist

A good dentist has a personal interest in their patients and their health. It is very much geared towards prevention and not overly prone to the latest fashions or trends in treatments, unless they are extensively tested and scientifically supported.

X-rays used for diagnosis and is likely to suggest a complete radiography of mouth if the patient does not have any before.

Make a thorough examination of the mouth including the teeth, gums, tongue, lips, inner cheeks and palate, the skin of the face and neck, as well as exploring the neck for abnormal lymph nodes enlarged or thyroid and parotid glands, in adults, will explore the gums with a periodontal probe to detect bags and pockets of infection between the tooth and gum.

Good dentists carefully recorded in the patient’s record all data in the scan.

A good dentist mentioned you how to maintain the health of your mouth and tells you how to brush your teeth. Usually the dentist advises on this subject is really committed to the health of their patients. It also advises you on your diet and tells him what habits and what foods are bad for your teeth.

He shows interest and are friendly when clearly answer all the questions you raise used.

Recommends a thorough cleaning of the mouth and dental clinic has a dental hygienist titled and collegial.

It is recommended by their treating patients and takes many years. Think a dentist, especially if you choose to work alone or in a small dental clinic, must obtain and maintain their patients on the merits of their work.

Recommends that regular checks are made ​​that are used to detect problems before they become serious (the best treatment is not to do). Routine cleanings mouth, evaluations of occlusion (bite), periodontal examinations, preventive interventions and fluoride treatments, often avoid further damage and costly reconstructions.

The frequency of reviews (including the removal of tartar and taking X-rays) should be based on the study of the frequency and speed of caries patient, the rate of plaque buildup, the state of the gums or the presence to more specific problems. Once the current treatment is complete, the patient should be included in a calendar of revisions and should be notified when the next revision expires.

A quality dental work last long in most cases, while a shoddy job may fail in a few years or seriously harm the rest of the mouth. The price is not always the best indicator to assess the quality treatment rather pay special attention to the time spent by the dentist to do the job. Quality dental treatment cannot be performed as a work in assembly line type series, require time and careful attention to detail.

Before starting treatment, your dentist (not a business) it should be clearly informed of what you are going to do and what can be the expected result. Consider different treatment options, because there may be different ways to solve the problem. For example, a fixed bridge, a removable device or an implant may be valid to replace a lost tooth but have different advantages, disadvantages and costs treatments.

A good test to see if you have found a good dentist is the emphasis given to you on prevention to keep the health of your mouth, even more than to cure it.

Suspect practices

Be wary of advertising too showy and exaggerated because it is indicative of a commercial approach rather than a quality dental care. When the price charged for each treatment is very low, it may be that the time spent, the quality of materials and technique are below the acceptable.

Dental clinics whose advertising emphasizes the price, aesthetics, treatments in a single visit, quick treatments, aggressive bids, etc., may be more interested in impressing the patient to give quality treatment.

Be careful if a dentist offers lightly any extraction. Ask if there is no way to save the tooth.

The routine use of intravenous sedation is another bad sign because it means that patients are exposed to unnecessary risks. While general anesthesia may be appropriate in some cases (very young children, adults with certain diseases, etc.), most patients do not need to routine dental treatments.

Be suspicious if not asked in detail about their dental and general medical history. Before any treatment, you should know if you are allergic and why. Also want to know if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hepatitis, etc. .; or if you are pregnant. In all these cases, dental treatment should be done with more caution than usual.

Other tips to locate a good dentist

It is advisable to have located a good dentist before an emergency occurs. You can ask among friends and acquaintances if they recommend your dentist, or ask your family doctor who takes care of their own teeth.

Another interesting possibility is to ask at the local vocational school or college nearest dentistry, they tend to be aware of the best techniques applied in the country and can easily recommend a good specialist in dental treatment you need.

Consumers Research in the United States published these issues to judge professionalism submit to the dentist after treatment:

  • How do you feel your teeth to chew?
  • Is there some part of dental work done that is irritating your gum?
  • Does the treated tooth looks like a tooth?
  • Does dental floss or tongue gets hung up somewhere in the tooth?
  • Dentist took time to polish your fillings?
  • Do you feel pain when he drinks hot or cold liquids?
  • Is there any kind of debris or debris in your mouth after treatment?
  • Do you use the dentist a jet of pressurized water to cool your teeth while is carving a cavity or opening?